Please settle a bet!


This is purely intended as an exercise in vicarious fun. However, there is a bottle of fine Scotch, likely single malt, riding on this bet. So, please be somewhat serious and well-reasoned with your responses.

My audiophile friends and I have recently been waxing philosophical, as audiophiles with too much time on their hands are wont to do, and bantering back & forth which pairs of speakers, among 3 specific choices, would, hypothetically, sound "best" in a two-channel application when paired with either a McIntosh MA5200 or MA5300. We, of course, fully understand that "best" is a subjective concept and appreciate the many variables involved, especially with regard to speakers (e.g. sound room dimensions; speaker placement; room acoustics; etc.). As such, let’s assume a hypothetical living room ... say ...15’X20’ with 8’ ceiling, no windows, average wall-to-wall carpeting, proverbial sheetrock construction, average couch & love seat, not chock-full of furniture, etc. Also, please assume good quality modestly priced 12-guage name brand speaker cables (e.g. Audioquest).

The 3 specific pairs of speakers involved are:

Revel Performa3 F208

Focal Aria 936

Revel Performa3 F206

All of these speakers are certainly outstanding in their own right. However, as all audiophiles know, components must be properly paired in order to sound their best. As such, please keep in mind the virtually identical characteristics and power levels of the amplifiers involved, the sensitivity or efficiency of the speakers, etc. Using your best audiophile skills & know-how, personal experiences, etc., please rate, in order, which speakers you think would sound best, second best and third best, in your opinion(s), and explain your reasoning, conclusions or prognostications in this regard.

As indicated at the outset, there’s a friendly wager riding on this (i.e. bottle of fine Scotch) and, of course, audiophile bragging rights for years to come.

Thanks for any and all responses! Have fun!

oldaudiophile

….and that Brandon magic continues….if anyone believes he really got 81 mil legit votes, you should also prefer Lloyds to Audio Research too.

 

Impossible bet to settle, just split the single malt & enjoy your systems.

I think, (I’m not for sure) that Revels seem to require quite a bit of power to sound their best.

ozzy

Cultists need to be autobanned from this place....

 

I've had a pair of Aria 936's. Wasn't in love with them whatsoever. I bought a new pair two years ago for $2700. At these new prices I wouldn't even consider them. Plus the lacquer finish on the cabinets was sad stuff.  I haven't heard the Revel's, but I'd put my money there. 

Let's keep this forum about audio, not politics. Are there not enough places for you asshats to discuss it? Why bring it here?

Apparently they think people here are concerned with the political opinions of anonymous strangers?